This seems to be the mentality behind much of the green marketing out there, specifically in the construction industry. Marketers are scrambling to find originality in green marketing and in their frenzy produce sub-standard creative that either offends because it’s greenwashing or because it’s just poor creative.
As a marketing professional and believer in the green movement, it’s hard for me to determine which is more offensive. I think the core problem with green marketing is that manufacturers of ‘green’ products have an ultimate misunderstanding of what their audiences want. This, of course, can then be tracked back to a lack of knowledge about what their audiences really know.
For example, what’s the difference in general green IQ between an architect and contractor? How about a designer and builder? Engineer and inspector? Judging by a quick flip through any trade pub, most do not understand the differences. As a result, we end up with poorly targeted ads that completely miss their audience’s interests.
Architects may not be as focused on the bottom line as a builder. And a builder might not be as concerned with aesthetics as an architect. It’s as though the green movement started and marketers completely forgot everything they knew about the audiences they try so hard to reach.
So instead, we are the recipients of grossly overgeneralized marketing that sets out to cover everything green. Have a green product? Throw a leaf in your logo and show a meadow in the background of your print ads and you’re good to go.
Screw it, it’s green.
{ 2 comments }